Ctcarol: how though? Honestly have no idea where to start. I can only say the house is 80-90 years old, the driveway is very broken up. We live next to a river, couldn't say how far & it has flooded twice so I don't know if that would have made a difference. There's moss/weeds poking in the blacktop in spots. The yard, moss mixed with these weeds + dandelions + crabgrass + a couple more that I can't identify. There is bits of grass, tangled with moss. IMO very unkept. The last tenant did nothing, at all. Only broke and ruined things. My landlord was the last person who lived here that took care of it. (2014, 2016 is when they left I believe). I honestly started ripping up this part of the lawn, leaving me with thick heavy dirt. (Best way to describe it.) it maintains water well. I think there's deliberately sand in the gardens. It's weird. Sand is the only way to describe the top layer. Under, if you dig about a centimeter down, is the thick dark dirt. Molds together well is another way to describe it. I don't know the worlds most about soil, only a few things. Any tips I'd appreciate. I think our soil is acidic, based on what's growing (also have knotweed our back). I don't know how scientifically accurate it is but I did the baking soda/vinegar jar test with the dirt, and it showed more alkaline? But I don't believe it at all..

sorry for the super long message.